


vagary

by halcyoneous



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Bonding Moments, Canon Era, Ereri Canonverse Week, M/M, Manga Spoilers, Pining, Running Away, but not in a bad way, more like unresolved feelings, not as deep as it seems to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 06:56:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16444994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halcyoneous/pseuds/halcyoneous
Summary: (n.) an unpredictable instance, a wandering journey; a whimsical, wild or unusual idea, desire or action // for ereri canonverse week day 1: getting closer + pining





	vagary

**Author's Note:**

> contains spoilers up to chapter 90.
> 
> I have always loved snk and ereri a lot but??? I just managed to write something for them by now lol. thanks for me coming back to it after abandoning it for like two years or so.

The best greetings have already given. To the military higher ups, a salute that was returned; to Historia the queen, a simple good night that wasn’t left unanswered. The taste of gourmet food already touched his mouth. Meat covered with spice, sweets dipped with molten honey and even sips of cold liquor aged with grace. Everything felt like glory, but there was no time to entertain it any further.

All of this and he had a rendezvous planned, with a person that had wished to escape from everything. A priority that he set before he ever indulged in this idea.

Eren turned back to Levi, who beckoned over him from across the room, flicked fingers to pull him closer to the exit. It was one the captain had been repeating for a few times, thanks to Eren himself, faking his ignorance with meat smashed on his mouth when he just wanted to make sure the call was real.

He would have asked someone to punch him, so he’d be even more sure. But he needed to hush it all up. So he just waltzed over to Levi’s side and said, “Let’s go,” in a voice as soft as he can, though the crowd had drowned that with their conversations.

Side to side, step by step, they walked away to the city that awaited.

 

*

 

It started a few days before, when the nine Scouting Legion soldiers were invited to receive the royal award for restoring Wall Maria.

“Historia inviting us to something like this, at this time… I would rather not,” Levi scowled to the queen on his head as he collected today’s mail for the squad. It came with extra announcement for an after party, held by both the Reiss monarch and the military headquarters in Mitras.

The captain distributed the letters to the kids of his squad during a casual afternoon gathering; he won’t hold back on what was their right. He admitted, the nice things they could offer and the boost of morale the celebrations could give was to be appreciated. Though high society events aren’t his thing in general, not in a moment when the scouts were still rebuilding themselves. 

But all Levi saw was bright faces. Of Jean, Sasha and Connie chatting—“Think of all the important men and women you could meet in one night!” “No, how about the food they offer? Bet they’ll give us the best and the most expensive!” Of Armin asking his friends, “Amazing! What else could have happened in a party?”

”Well, we don’t know for sure, but you’ll come, right?” Jean brushed the question off. “That’s just tell tales, Armin. the real deal will be even greater!” Connie yelled without minding. They hadn’t been to one of those functions by themselves, they sure were impressionable, Levi supposed.

“Alright then, have fun, you all...” he dismissed them to switch to Eren and Mikasa, who just stepped back from a short interrogation session with Hange. They had been freed early due to their honorable duty, yet their insubordination still needed to be addressed.

“Anyway, there’s mail. Everyone else had it already,” Levi showed off the remaining envelopes and let them have it, let them find out what will happen by themselves. He kept on watching, though. Waiting on whether they would react as good as their comrades, hoping one of them would have thought otherwise.

When more than a few seconds had passed, without anything said between Eren and Mikasa, the captain dropped his act and went straightforward to his offer, “Just in case you aren’t that interested, anyone want to run away and go sightseeing around Mitras instead? I can explain for you, no consequences.”

Mikasa did a quick double take with Armin, shouted to the other side, “You need company? Those three could’ve gone wild, you know.” Glared at Jean, Sasha and Connie for a bit.

“Thanks, Mikasa, that would be nice! Ask Eren too!” Armin answered, still with excitement.

Not noticing he’s being brought up by his friend, Eren questioned something to Levi instead, “Is it with you, Captain?” What’s it again? Of course he didn’t talk about the whole celebration that the whole team got hyped for, did he?

“Well, you can go alone,” snide and sarcastic as usual, Levi added, “If you want to get lost, that’s it.” Not like Eren Yeager would. Not like he’d threw this opportunity out of nowhere _._ “At least greet some people and attend the gala dinner. For formalities. Or for Historia. Whatever.”

And at the promised night, just before they entered the gates of the castle, Levi stopped Eren just when they were exiting the carriage that brought them along.

Whispered on his ear, “Eren, we’re not making a fuss. If you see me snapping my fingers your way, that’s your cue. Go over there without saying anything.” Fixed the awkward folds and creases on the boy’s uniform (Levi couldn’t believe he let one sleeve rolled up to his forearms and did nothing about it), and the wild locks of hair sticking out of its place as they were speaking.

“Alright, Captain Levi,” Eren nodded to the notion as quiet as he can, which isn’t much, then excused himself to go to his friends.

“What is the captain doing to you?” “Are you alright? Nothing wrong?” It’s hard to hear who, their voices overlapped, but they asked things the moment Eren came back to them. Their concern was expected; he was interrupted in a weird time, after all.

But he brushed it off, “Nothing, just some attire check,” as nothing but what was it on plain sight.

 

*

 

The clock tower that stood in front of them pointed at nine thirty. Their departure was early, with no particular interest in partaking more than what’s necessary. Everyone was too busy celebrating them as heroes, no one would mind them not being there the whole night.

Mitras shown a different face than the last time both of them were here. Less hostile to shortlisted guests, more radiant in an important evening like this. Paper lanterns turned on in a thousand colors, people turned up with their best clothes to start their own festival in the streets. This might have been the work of the nobles, regarded less after the military took over, or just anyone that wasn’t in to the royal function. Still, they rejoiced for humanity’s win, or just used it as an excuse for an event that showed off their riches.

Some people pointed on them, standing out with the military suit. At least no one asked them to stop and look over them for too long. It was serene, compared to having swords drawn to their throats by Central Military Police, to meeting the socialites that lick their boots and won’t leave them alone.

“Captain, is there any good place you’re going to show me?” Eren asked, expected some semblance of experience from Levi, one of the top brass that had more business in the capital than he did.

Levi tried to recall lavish man-made landmarks and protocol roads, gardens and military owned facilities. What he walked around in a time of leisure with Erwin, Hange and leaders of other squads; friends that had all but one fallen. Nowhere he ever had travelled alone to than tea houses, but they would have been closed by this hour. So he went with, “Nothing in mind,” unwilling to let things turn bitter for this time.

And Eren still followed suit, knowing they could have ended up nowhere. But he won’t mind scrambling through the streets that offered them food and beverages tasting, sold them luxuries, told them to play games and bet money, or asked them to get lost in the hype of the others.

In the middle of everything, just nothing they desired, Levi attempted to pick up an attraction to visit, “Darts? Shooting gallery? Or the wheel of fortune?”

The captain just asked for him on a challenge as if it’s nothing. Eren hesitated for a while, considered the chances of taking him down by luck or making himself look ridiculous instead. He almost bit out a chuckle upon that thought before he changed his mind and said, “Why not?”—confident that he would not at least back off from the competition.

“Two chances,” Levi spared some coins over to a booth’s attendant before grabbing a toy arrow, passed the second to his subordinate. Three times each, shoot to the tree bark board on an area of choice. The numbers would decide your prize. Those were the rules.

Their weapon was light, small and nothing like a real one, Eren thought as he spinned it in his hands to grasp a feel; or just show it off as a trick shot. Without saying anything, he aimed first. His eyes were focused on the center, but his move wasn’t well-thought enough. In fact, it barely hit the outermost ring. Not even inside the circle.

He sighed and let Levi throw the arrow for his turn. A sharp bull’s eye on first try awarded them with the grand prize.

The merchant handled an expensive tea cup. Not what Eren expected, but Levi sure would be interested. Quite contrary, Levi said, “No, pack it in a crate. We’ll take them later.”

Eren, though, sneaked his two remaining shots before they left. That didn’t change much from the first, just one or two levels better, so he got nothing more than his original consolation prize. “Any other game?” he asked, still so very eager to play.

“No. I’m not that into gambling,” Levi changed his mind as he led Eren through the alley they were at. He won’t say it out loud, but he just wanted to take a walk like this for once. Or a run, straight past every other open and closed posts, only stopped at times to throw each other questions without answers.

 

(Like, “Eren, cakes?” Over the assortments of pastries that had turned cold, yet couldn’t be more than a day old. “We already ate back then.”

or,

“What kind of dance is that?” Eren commented right in front of people getting in their way, forcing them to pause. “Who knows. Does it look funny to you?”)

 

That sounded like small talk, if they ever knew of it.

 

*

 

“Do we leave now?” Levi was the one who brought this runaway idea up, but he was responsible enough to be concerned about coming back again. The other Scouts could be searching for them, or they could have been left behind instead.

Their footsteps went weary, the time ticked with a steady speed. Midnight could come any time soon. The conversation from their surroundings, and themselves, grew calmer. Or it was just the noise caused by painting the sky; since from the side of the royal castle, someone lit up gigantic fireworks. 

“Depends. I think not yet,” Eren watched over the sparks flying, a new one shot up every a few seconds, “They’re still having so much fun over there.”

“Well,” Levi tried to look the same way. Tried to not meet Eren or his eyes instead of the line of sight.

But the boy’s words were faster, “Is it alright to just stroll around like this, though, Captain Levi?” Though it was also late in a sense. How could he ask after their fourth time going back and forth the main street?

Of course, “It’s not bad,” or Levi would have turned back already.                  

Others would have asked for a dance under the moonlight, with the people’s cheers as music. A kiss under the starry night with the spur of a moment lover. But the time alone was more than enough. But until the day they can intertwine their fingers—clean and soft with a certain callous, without the stains of blood and tears in between—Levi would just enjoy what he could have.

No one could tell if that day would come true, but only then would any of them could ask for more.

And in the dwindling silence, he hoped Eren would consider it. Just like he did this night.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that I grasped the pining part. or that I will ~~complete~~ do something else for this week. I am: sorry and thank you


End file.
